


Someone to crave

by ixykiiwi



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Dominance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Family, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-20 04:02:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15525642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ixykiiwi/pseuds/ixykiiwi
Summary: An alternative version of season two, Will knows what Hannibal did to him but decides to stay quiet. After only a few months in prison, he is let go after Dr. Chilton is charged for the killings instead. Years past and Chilton is executed for Hannibal's crimes and once Will returns to work...so does Hannibal.





	1. Alternative ways to tell a tale.

There is a single drop of that blood falls into the glass, the liquid inside it slowly changing its color as a red cloud spreads through it turning it from a slight yellow but still very much clear liquid... into a deep red one. Hannibal smiles at his creation, so simple yet so...efficient. The sound of dripping had never done much for him, he knew sounds could make humans feel pleasure, sickness or more often annoyance. Not him, he simply appreciated the aesthetic of this visually. The body had been left suspended, small cuts had been made along the man's arms and legs, allowing it to drip into skillfully arranged wine glasses on the floor underneath him. 

drip drip drip

With a grin, Hannibal moves around the man one last time. Oh, he couldn't wait to hear Will speak about this discovery, hear his voice describe his art. A perfect symphony that was played to him and him alone, it was almost enough making him seek out victims rather than letting them walk into his life...just to hear his own perfect symphony performed oh so skillfully by young Will. He smiles again before seizing his bag of trophies, a heart along with a kidney which had been cut out while he was still alive to keep the meat nice and fresh. As well as his tools and moved to leave, leaving his gift behind him along with the sound it was making. 

drip drip drip…

***

Will awoke from a phone call, something that occurred so often he almost never bothered with an alarm, he read the caller ID and decided to ignore it, the dead can wait...his dogs can't. Getting up he opens his front door, letting them run outdoor to enjoy the early daylight. His head was heavy, he had been drinking more than he had planned the night before and he was now paying the price. It had been a...unusual night, visits from Alana often were at this point in time. As a mother as well as a married woman, she didn't have much time for poor somewhat unbalanced Will or much else for that matter. She had only seen her once before last night since he got out of prison. So her visit had been good, unexpected but in the end, it had been good. His phone rings again and he looks down seeing Jack's name written across the display and this time he picks up and he is greeted by the angry sounds of Jack. Hearing it this early in the morning made his head hurt...he should have left it alone for another hour or so. 

"Jack I can't understand you, please slow down," he says rubbing the bridge of his nose as he tries to focus on the words spoken to him.  
"Chilton was innocent" is the only thing he hears and Wills' heart sinks, he knew this of course...he had hoped for more time but going back into the field would spark Hannibal to make a move, he had to show him what he could do, sending Chilton to his death screaming his innocence and now he needed Will to know that he was the man in charge.  
"Where is the victim?" he asks and once he get's his answer out of the angry and stressed Jack he hangs up the phone. He takes his time, allowing the moments of peace to last just a little longer. Calling in his dogs, leaving them food and water before getting into the car and driving towards the address.

***

Hannibal feels like he had taken a deep breath after holding his breath until he was close to passing out like his lungs were finally taking in the air again. Waiting all that time...it had felt like he was starving, slowly withering away as his body was crying out for substance. But now, even before consuming what he took from the man...he felt oh so satisfied. He didn't feel like this often, perhaps waiting longer between kills would continue to give him these feelings...or maybe it was simply the idea that he would soon hear Will speak of his art...describe it with such detail only he could. He remembers the first time he had done so, walking into the lecture hall hearing him speak of the woman on the antlers. How he describes his actions and the reasons behind them...being oh so very correct. It sends a shiver through him, and Hannibal grew curious about this feeling, wondering if it was due to the long overdue kill...or the idea of hearing Will speak of it again...perhaps it was more about him now then anything. 

His appointment time comes and he opens the door anticipating to see Will there waiting for him, but no such luck. He frowns and shuts the door, he should be done with the crime scene...it would have been found early this morning so there was no reason for him to still be there. A slight annoyance falls over him, followed by a feeling far less normal for him...worry. Not for Will's safety...but his own. His gut was something he trusted and it was telling him something was wrong. Could Will know? It seemed possible for him to have memories of what he had done to him but if so, he had not spoken about it to anyone. Would he have stayed in prison quiet? Had he grown so predictable that Will would believe he could not let him rot in prison for his crimes? 

The idea worried him, growing predictable in that area of his life would be most unwanted...but the idea that Will might know and have kept quiet did open up a most wonderful idea in his mind. Perhaps...there could be a partnership in his future after all. He would never think of denying his feelings for Will, he was simply unsure what words he would use to describe them if he was asked too. Love? He wasn't even sure he could feel something like that, had he loved before? His sister possibly...he honestly could not remember. Perhaps the simple answer would be that there wasn't one...not in any language, he had mastered. Once more he checks the waiting room finding it again empty, it seemed he would have no symphony this evening after all...a shame. Just as he plans on giving up and returning to his home there is a knock on his door, slowly he moves towards the door and opens it coming face to face with Will once more.

"Hello Dr. Lecter," he says walking past him and Hannibal can't help it...he smirks as Will walks past him, he is pushing him...being rude like this. If he knows he is trying his best to stir the beast.  
"You are late," he says before closing the door behind them, taking a moment to quietly lock the door before moving to sit opposite of Will.  
"We found a body, looks like Chilton was innocent after all..." he says, looking into Hannibal's eyes;"the ripper is still out there" Hannibal takes a moment to let the words hand in the air, watching will for any signs of emotions and finding him...calm, no sadness or guilt to play across his face. Something that was rather unusual for Will who seemed rattled with guilt over most things.  
"You don't seem so upset, you hold no guilt for dear Dr. Chilton then?" Hannibal asks and Will shakes his head and lets out a small laugh. 

"No, why would I?" Hannibal can't help it, he smiles and reaches for his notes. He could learn to enjoy this side of Will.  
"What makes you so sure this is the ripper?" he asks getting ready to pretend to take notes as he listens, he feels his chest tighten as he awaits to hear Will speak of his art.  
"He cut out the man's kidneys while he lived, along with his heart...once dead he strung him up...allowing his blood to drip slowly into wine glasses," he says his tone sharp;"dramatic...it screams ripper...Jack is not taking it very well...it's been three years and Chilton was executed almost six months ago...why did he wait so long? Why not do it right after he was gone..." he sighs and looks at Hannibal and he knows that look. Will knows and he is asking him why he didn't act sooner.

"Perhaps it was never about proving Chilton's innocents...and more about the perfect moment. This was your first day back in the field no? Doesn't sound much like a coincidence to me and he has shown interest in you before" he says after a moment of simply watching him with great interest.  
"So you say he has been waiting for me? So if I never worked again he would never kill again?" Once again it's obvious to Hannibal what Will is asking, will you not keep killing if I stop working? He smiles and shakes his head slowly.

"I doubt you can keep away much more than he can keep himself from doing what he does, it's a hunger...avoiding it would be like starving yourself, sooner or later...you would take a bite" he watches Will, his face had turned...almost sad? And Hannibal finds himself wondering what the younger man was going to end up doing now. He would hate to have to kill him, even though eating him would no doubt give him more pleasure than anyone he had ever had before...but he would much rather keep him alive. So the question is if Will decides to turn him in...would he give up his freedom for Will's life? 

"As much as I hate it...you are right," Will says and for a moment Hannibal finds his mask slipping, only for a second however but his words do shock him enough to drop his pen. The moment passes and he picks up his pen, once he looks up again Will is standing in front of him, a gun pointed at his head.  
"So if I murder you...it's going to be over?" he asks and Hannibal leans back in his chair, shifting his eyes from the gun aimed at his face to the eyes of the man holding it.  
"Perhaps, or it will simply light a spark in your own hell. Would you go back to prison? Maybe you will end up on death row this time as well? Or will you put the gun to your own head once you have taken my life?" slowly he stands, the gun follows him as he does and carefully he moves towards Will as he backs away from him until his back hits the latter behind him. 

"Or...maybe there is an ending to this tale where neither of us dies?" he asks him, placing his hand on Will's gun. Will seems to tremble where he stands and Hannibal lets his other hand rest on the man's shoulders, supporting him.  
"Calm down Will, I would much more enjoy you alive then dead...if I am to lose my freedom then at least give me some time with you before?" Will's gun falls to the floor and he stands still;"I'm glad I'm not dying at this moment..." he says before bending down to pick the gun up, he had never like them...they were boisterous, left so much trace all over the place. He puts the gun in his desk drawer, keeping himself from grabbing the knife he kept in there, neither of them was dying tonight... 

"I thought...you wouldn't let me stay in prison for too long...I gambled with my life...and I was right" Will says as he watches Hannibal sit back down in his chair once more.  
"I had plans for us...Abigail had to die for them to come into the light," he says and Will slumps down into his seat rubbing his face.  
"Couldn't it had been done with Abigail alive?" he asks and Hannibal smiles;"oh she only had to die in the eyes of the world...Abigail is alive Will...she is safe and living her life as a new woman" the news made Will choke on his own sobs and he sits up in his seat, looking at Hannibal with tears slowly rolling down his cheeks as he tries to speak.  
"She is alive? H-How could you keep this from me?" his question tugs at Hannibal, sending that strange guilt feeling through him once more and he feels his own emotions rattled by Will's words.

"I am sorry, it had to be done this way...we are her fathers now Will...I told you this once, but I knew you would never agree to our plan. To get her away from Jack's prying eyes we had to act fast...I caused you great pain all for her, for us" Hannibal isn't sure what more to say, he can't take back what he had done to Will even if he wanted too. Abigail had to disappear...and, in the end, Will was fine now. He could only hope he would be able to forgive him.

"Where is she?" he asks and Hannibal smiles;"Florence, I am expecting a call her in two days. If you are to turn me in will you give me two days to say my goodbye to her? You can speak to her as well" Will shakes his head, his fingers moving through his hair as he sighs.  
"I-I don't want to turn you in," he says simply and once again, his words shock Hannibal to a point where he has to take a moment to stay in control.  
"I am glad to hear it" he replies, trying to keep his voice calm and steady as he waits for Will to continue to speak. It takes almost ten minutes before Will seems to find his words again. 

"Can I speak to Abigail?" he asks and Hannibal nods;"of course, once she calls you can speak to her. She calls from a new phone every month...I never call her. It's safest that way" he watches Will as he speaks and he simply nods at Hannibal's statement;" she asked about you last month, I told her you were doing better. She wants us to join her, she misses us" Will smiles at this and Hannibal quickly joins him, there they were...smiling together as if nothing had changed. 

"I don't know what to do Hannibal..." he says and Hannibal sighs before standing up moving over to stand next to where he sat, gently kneeling down next to him.  
"I have a suggestion, go to Florence with me...I know you have urges just like me...and Abigail too" he looks at Will who stares back at him with tears in his eyes. Hannibal knew this would be tough on him so he carefully places a hand on his knee before he continues to talk. 

"Let me show you...that not everything I do is dirty and covered in sin...let them hun their killer here, give them a show...then we leave" Hannibal moves his hand from his knee to grasp Wills' hand, this is all he wants. It's everything he has ever wanted...and now he is ready to beg for it to become real. 

"Why me?" Will asks, not removing his hand from Hannibal's touch and Hannibal finds himself once again stunned by his words, indeed why him? Was it his intellect? No he had met smarter men and women and neither had made him feel like this, so what was it? The way his eyes looked at him? The way his voice sounded when he spoke his name? 

"I...crave you" Hannibal finally says, not a lie...not the word he would have liked to use but he still couldn't think of one powerful enough to describe it.  
"Do I frighten you Will?" he asks, looking deep into his eyes;"do you fear I will take my first best chance to kill and eat you?"  
"I don't know" he replies and Hannibal sighs before grasping his hand tighter.  
"As much as I would love to taste your flesh Will...I do not wish to kill you" he says keeping a close eye on Will's face as he does;"let me show you my world...let me show you how beautiful blood looks under the moonlight" 

Will meets his gaze, something in his eyes shows Hannibal he had already made his choice, unaware that he was even doing it, Hannibal smiles as he lets his hand touch Will's cheek.  
"Yes"


	2. Dinner for two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will joins Hannibal for dinner to discuss the future, Will also get's a chance to speak to Abigail.

Two days later Will accompanied Hannibal for dinner, he had gone home late that night after their talk and it took every ounce of strength he had not to call Alana and implore her to come and just take him away, lock him up and throw away the key before he ended up becoming Hannibal's partner in crime. The idea of joining him in the kitchen this night was...strange after all, he now knew where (or who) the meat came from...and still, he accepted. He willingly and knowing attended Hannibal's kitchen that night to eat the heart and kidneys of his last victim. He had officially lost his fucking mind. 

As he joins Hannibal in the kitchen he is struck by the smell, it smells like raw meat and death. Hannibal was dressed to impress, as usual, only missing his suit jacket as he works on preparing the food for them.   
"Abigail should call us in a few hours, the time difference makes it so she calls rather late," he tells him and Will simply nods, watching the food like he suspects it to jump up and attack him.  
"I am not interested in forcing you to eat anything," Hannibal says as if he was reading his mind;"no more dishonesty between us, I have told you what I intended on serving and if you wish to skip the meat feel free" Will shakes his head as he scratches his head. 

"I accepted, didn't I? It's just...strange...knowing" Hannibal nods to show he understands and Will moves over, standing awkwardly as he watches Hannibal work like the artist he is.   
"Can I help?" he asks unsure if he even should have been let inside the kitchen honestly but Hannibal seemed pleased with his inquiry.  
"You can chop up some onions and carrots, nothing to hard and you won't have to handle the meat" Will was thankful for that, he wasn't sure if he was ready to cut into a human heart. Instead, he placed his focus on his small task and tried to cut it as neatly as he could. Why he was so keen on impressing Hannibal with his carrot cutting skills he couldn't be sure of but here he was. He watches as Hannibal took out another portion of meat from the fridge, the kidney looked almost like any meat, the heart stood out more to him, however. They don't speak, Will watch as Hannibal begins to cut the kidney and preparing the heart by marinating it. He expects to feel nauseous, but he doesn't instead he watches with interest. Like a student watching his biology teacher cut into the heart of a pig or the body of a frog...for some reason the knowledge that the meat was human didn't change how he looked at it. Perhaps he truly was insane after all...he had to be. 

"I can take it from here, go wash up I'll join you in the dining room shortly," Hannibal says and gently takes the knife from Will and grins at him. Will simply nods and steps outside the kitchen. He knows Hannibal's house well enough to find to the bathroom and wash up, he soon finds himself throwing water at his face trying to calm himself down. Once he speaks to Abigail...then things will be easier to accept. If she even is alive...maybe Hannibal was still playing him, his no more lies statement might just be another damn lie...He shakes the thought out of his head, he has to trust him...he is into deep to doubt him now. As he looks up at himself in the mirror...he sees the vision of himself looking back, only his face is changing ever so slightly. His eyes growing darker, blood slowly falling from his eyes like tears as antlers seems to grow from his head. He gasps and closes his eyes tightly before opening them again looking back into the mirror again, he is back to normal and he presses his forehead against the mirror to cool down. He still wasn't sure why he was here...he knew what he should be doing and yet the idea of turning Hannibal in made his insides twist and turn more than the idea of eating a human heart did. 

"I'm fucking insane..." 

***

Hannibal watches Will leave and lets out a deep sigh once he was alone inside his kitchen, this was quickly turning heavy and his feelings towards Will seemed to weight on his shoulders. Would he let Will go if it turned out that option would be better for him? Would he walk into Jack's office and hand him a human head, confess to everything just to keep Will away from his world? Or would he continue down his selfish path where he pulled him so deep into his own darkness until he had no way out? 

He finishes preparing the heart deep in thought and sends it into the oven to cook. After that puts, the kidney through a blender until it's almost all gone adds some red wine and sets it to boil on low heat. He leaves the kitchen to check on Will, he worried slightly seeing how new this all was to him. Finding the dining room empty he quickly looks around he grows more and more worries, had he left him? Had he gone to turn him in after all? He calls out for him, hoping that he was still here.

"Will?" he calms down once he sees him walk out of the bathroom, he looks worn out but mostly fine:"everything alright?" Will takes a moment before he nods and walks towards him.  
"Just...confusion? My mind is in a battle with itself and I am still trying to focus on...my choice" Hannibal nods and gestures for him to sit down with him.

"If you have changed your mind Will...you only need to tell me - "   
"I haven't," he says quickly and Hannibal watches him with a soft smile on his lips;"I am just...confused that is all" Hannibal watches him, waiting for him to continue speaking like before during their talks. When Will remains silent he decides to push the topic even more.   
"And what confuses you Will? That watching me cook, knowing what meat I am using and yet you still wish to eat? Or is it that you are confused over why you decided not to turn me in?" Will takes a deep breath and opens his mouth to speak but ends up just closing it again with a shrug. 

"Our dinner will take some time if there is something you wish to know about me...now would be a good time to ask," he says, hoping this offer would allow Will some peace, he already missed hearing his voice.   
"How many have you...killed?" he asks and Hannibal almost laughs, such an obvious first question.  
"I don't have a list you need to understand I have been doing this for some time..."  
"I thought we agreed on no more deceptions Hannibal" Will interrupts him and Hannibal nods as he takes a deep breath, it would be rude to break his promise.   
"135," he says after a moment;"I didn't eat all of them however...that came later in my life, but yes 135 people have died at my hand" Will feels slightly nauseous, so many...how could he even consider not turning this man in...

"Why did you start...eating them?" to this question Hannibal doesn't have an answer to give, not really...he wasn't in his right mind when he had done it for the first time after all.   
"My sister was murdered when I was young...later in life I found the man had killed her...he told me how he ate her legs for dinner that night...so I ended up doing the same to him, after that...I did it from time to time. My theatrical side came out once I moved to the states" he watches him, wondering what he Will would think of him after this night.   
"I'm sorry about your sister," Will says softly without looking at him;"who was your first...how did it happen?" another long silence hangs in the air between them, Hannibal closes his eyes...it was not his best memory. 

"My first was in self-defense...hard to believe perhaps and yet true... I do not wish to go into how it came to happen at least not yet...perhaps one day I will tell you Will" Will seems happy with that and drops that question for another.  
"So, why eat them? What drives you to do that? I can understand the part with your sister but...why the others?" and Hannibal shrugs, he knows of course but he isn't sure how to explain it to Will.  
"I like it...it satisfies me in a way that nothing else has. Perhaps I am simply insane or human meat has a taste to it that brings me pleasure...why don't you tell me, you agreed to dine with me tonight did you not? Why do you want to eat it?" Will seemed almost offended at his question, but he doesn't seem to know what to say, instead, he narrows his brows and stare somewhere past him lost in his mind. Hannibal simply stands still, allowing Will to think. 

Suddenly Will lets out a deep sigh;"I don't know...when I first understood what...you had been feeding us I felt sick but in the end...it was delicious and I can't get it out of my mind..." Hannibal nods as he listens to Will speak with a hunger growing up inside him, the idea of Will finding his food even now...delicious. 

"One last thing Hannibal" Wills says and looks up at him, Hannibal meets his gaze and waits for Will to speak once more;"if I come with you...and I ask you to stop killing people...could you stop?" he should have expected this question, but for some reason it does surprise Hannibal...perhaps he believed Will would know better than to ask something like that of him. 

"I could, I have stopped before...for a very long time. But understand this Will...I won't stop. I simply do not wish too, so I will continue until I either grow too old to do it, get caught or die" Will seems disappointed and Hannibal isn't sure how to fix it. Saved by the bell from his kitchen Hannibal gets up to check on the food after the oven lets out a soft ring as it's timer runs out. 

"We can continue to speak about this later...I understand this is important to you Will but this is who I am...I won't change, I can spare you any knowledge of what I do if it makes things easier" Will shakes his head and move his fingers through his hair.  
"I doubt it, do I have to decide right now?" he asks and Hannibal moves to the kitchen with him following.  
"No, we can go visit Abigail...I can give you an opportunity to see my life...what it would be like and then you can decide, whatever you choose to do I assure you I won't kill you" not completely honest...he would kill Will if forced to pick between his and Abigail's freedom and Will's life...all he could hope was if Will decided not to stand by him he would at least let him leave. 

***  
While Will was watching Hannibal finish up their meal there was a strange feeling of comfort. The lies had built a wall between them, not made much better by Hannibal putting him in prison for a few months but they were slowly breaking it down, brick by brick. 

"Who was he? The man we found today?" Will asks, not that it would matter but learning how Hannibal chose his victims could help him understand him better;"I mean...so far we haven't been able to find how you pick your victims" Hannibal smirks, he seems almost proud of himself.  
"I take business cards from people I find rude" Hannibal tells him matter a factly and shrugged as he turns to smile at the confused Will;"I don't have a type, I don't hurt children however if that makes you feel better, other then that...I eat the rude" Will ends up just staring at him as he plates their food, the heart cut into thin strips along with some vegetables.  
"So...he was rude?" he asks after a moment and Hannibal nods with a soft smirk dancing over his lips.  
"Very much so" however he didn't explain further and it confused Will beyond belief...there was no way to apprehend the man in front of him, he left no evidence and had a motive so simple as he found them rude. He was a murderer that would not be captured...unless Will told someone. 

"Jack will grow suspicious soon," Hannibal said as if he was reading Will's mind;"even if you don't tell him anything. You were a suspect to the copycat killings, then I showed them there was ever only one killer...the ripper and I gave them Chilton. Now I have shown them he was innocent, it won't take long before they start looking at you again" Will scoffs at his words and he felt some strange relief in his own mind.  
"I was in prison when you framed Chilton, they won't think it's me," he says and Hannibal smirks at him;"perhaps they will think you simply had a friend to help you?" he comments and smiles at him;"and who do you spend oh so much time with and that also fits the same profile with Chilton?" Will's heart sinks, he is right...Hannibal had written his own sentence when he started killing again and Will wondered what he would do if they came for him.

"They won't have anything strong enough for a search warrant, I am however going to be cleaning out my cellar in the next few days, moving my machines to my storage to make sure it stays out of their hands were they to find a reason to visit" he speaks so calmly about this, Will can't help but to wonder if he had been investigated before... 

"Won't a trip to Europe looks rather suspicious then?" Will asks and Hannibal shrugs as he gestures at Will to walk to the dining room with him.  
"They don't have any evidence against us, besides you have deserved a vacation no?" Will isn't as confident but he decides to drop it for now.   
He sits down as Hannibal serves him his meal, grilled heart with vegetables and a sauce made from a kidney and wine. Will stares at his food for a long moment, Hannibal had already taken a few bites when Will grabbed his knife and fork and took his first bite.

Chewing he found himself unable to deny it, it tasted oh so good. Was it like knowing only made it better? Will looks over at Hannibal and gives him a little smile.  
"Delicious" he had to be insane, enjoying this even now that he knew where Hannibal's meat came from...he was lost already if he told someone now and found this out he was going to be thrown into the same cage as Hannibal.   
"Glad to hear it" Hannibal is grinning at him, clearly very pleased with himself. Will returns his smile awkwardly before continuing to eat in silence. His mind was still trying to tell him that this was wrong and yet his hand kept bringing food to his lips and he continued to chew and swallow. 

As the night continued they sat together, Hannibal told him how Abigail had been taking lessons with him in Italian and was doing great in Florence, she was studying and had a part-time job as a barista.   
"She works with a lot of tourists so having someone that's fluent in English is good for business," Hannibal says smiling like the proud father he acted like;" she should call any minute now, another glass?" he offers Will the wine and he nods as he accepts his third glass for the night.  
"Trying to get me drunk Doctor?" he asks giving him a weak smile;"I took a cab here so don't worry" he adds quickly as Hannibal seems to be ready to object to pouring him the drink.   
"I have guestrooms" he states;"you can spend the night, who knows how long you will sit and talk to Abigail, besides we need to plan our trip" Will wasn't too comfortable with the idea of a slumber party with Hannibal but he also didn't want to have to say goodbye too soon to Abigail either...so he nods once more agreeing to what Hannibal decided for him, would it always be like this? Hannibal saying something and Will ending up agreeing no matter what? 

The phone rings and Will almost jumps out of his seat and Hannibal chuckles and gets up to answer it;"Buonasera" he says smiling as he looks over at Will and he hears the voice of Abigail reply him.  
"I'm good don't worry - but I do have someone here who wants to speak to you...yes he knows...don't worry..." Hannibal walked away from the table leaving Will sitting still staring after him like a lonely puppy being left behind by his master.   
It feels like hours but it's probably only minutes before he returns and holds the phone out to Will.

"She is a little worried you are mad at her," he tells him in a low voice and Will nods as he takes the phone with a shaky hand.  
"I'm not mad..." he says staring at the phone for a moment before Hannibal places a hand on his shoulder.   
"Tell her that" and then he leaves them alone to talk. Will lifts the phone to his ear and suddenly he seems to forget how to speak.

"Will?" her voice rang out and Will gasps out as he feels tears falling down his face, it was her...Hannibal had told the truth. Abigail was alive...she was speaking to him...  
"Abigail..." and soon they were both simply sobbing into the phone, her in the small kitchen in her apartment in Florence and Will in Hannibal's giant dining room. 

Once they both calm down Will asks her all about her life in Florence, he listens to her as she talks about her work...school and a boy who seems to like her and how Hannibal was suggesting he'll come over and serve him up for dinner. Will laughs, he had only really had moments like this with her inside his mind before now...and he had Hannibal to thank for all this. She was safe, far away from the FBI believed to be dead and eaten by the ripper.   
"Hannibal says we can go visit you," Will tells her and he can hear her let out a small squeal of excitement.  
"I need to clean this place up then!" she laughs and he can hear her kick something that sounds like a bag of trash.  
"Don't worry...might still be a while before we can go and no matter what your home looks like I will love it"  
"Hannibal won't," she says and Will knows it's true;"but you are right...I have to go but if you can be here when I call next week that would mean so much...I'll get up a little earlier so we can talk longer" Will smiles and feels his heart melt at her words.  
"I will be...have a good day, not sure how to say it in Italian however"   
"Buona giornata" Abigail tells him and after that they say goodbye a few more times before Abigail hangs up the phone, leaving Will with a stupidly large grin on his face. 

This had been a good night...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Lukas for beta reading and giving me pointers on the story! I am aiming for weekly updates!  
> ALSO I speak like 0 Italian, if any of the Italian words are wrong please let me know!


End file.
